All 50 states now report average gas prices at $4 or higher, adding more pain at the pump for travelers ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
As of Wednesday, the national average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. stands at $4.56, according to AAA, a slight increase from a week earlier and up 49 cents from a month ago. One year ago, the average price of gas sat at $3.17.
Gas prices have slowly but steadily climbed for three straight months since President Trump, on February 28, launched military strikes against Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In response, the Iranian government closed the Strait of Hormuz, significantly straining global oil stockpiles and pushing energy prices higher.
“We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. You want to see the world exploded? You want to see a problem? And this is peanuts,” Trump said when asked about gas prices. “And I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. It won’t be much longer.”
Trump dismisses rising gas prices as ‘peanuts’ pic.twitter.com/IabdsJSVRF
— New York Post (@nypost) May 20, 2026
Georgia has the lowest gas prices at $4.01 per gallon, according to AAA. Other Southern states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama, also report prices just over $4.
Across the country, California has the highest average gas prices in the United States, with a gallon of gas averaging $6.14 in the Golden State. The top Democrats running for California governor refuse to consider suspending the 61.2-cent state-imposed gas tax, The Daily Wire previously reported. Both Republicans in the race, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, said they were in favor of suspending the tax.
Other Western states report higher-than-average gas prices, including Washington at $5.79, Hawaii at $5.65, Oregon at $5.35, and Nevada at $5.27. Gas prices in the Rust Belt, including battleground Michigan, report higher-than-average as well.
Despite the pain at the pump, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. The forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations, according to AAA.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”
Trump, in recent weeks, has teased eliminating the federal gas tax for temporary relief, a proposal that faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Congress.
“I think it’s a great idea,” the president said in a phone interview with CBS’s Nancy Cordes. “Yup, we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in.”
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